Positioning and holding device



Sept. 21, 1965 J. J. KELLEY ETAI. 3,207,504

POSITINING AND HOLDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 30, 1962 HTTDR'NEQ United States Patent O 3,207,504 POSITIONING AND HOLDING DEVICE John J. Kelley, Lawrence, and Earle E. Simpson, Georgetown, Mass., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,724 6 Claims. (Cl. 269-254) This invention relates t-o holding devices and particularly to devices for positioning and holding the parts of a resistor during the assembly thereof.

In the manu-facture of wire wound resistors such as the :pigtail type having a cylindrical body portion with leads extending outwardly from opposite ends thereof, one of the operations involves t-he accurate locating of a heat shrinkable insulating sleeve over the body portion in order to protect the wire wound on the body portion. Heretofore, considerable time and care was required to center the insulating sleeve over the body portion to insure that the sleeve would shrink uniformly thereabout in a subsequent curing operation.

Accordingly, an object of thi-s invention is to provide a device for positioning `and holding the parts of one or more units during the assembly thereof.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a device for holding the 4parts of one or more pigtail resistors and for positioning said parts with respect to a heat shrinkable insulating sleeve.

In `accordance with the general features of this invention, the device includes a pair of parallel members having corresponding notches along their upper edges to tixedly hold the opposite leads of `one or more pigtail units. Alocking means at the base of each notch engages the end portions of the pigtail body when the insulating sleeve is positioned thereover. The body and heat shrinkable sleeve of each pigtail unit are held rrnly in the notched member-s by resiliently urged cross members acting upon the parallel members. This design permits easy push-in, pull-out loading to simplify the handling of these rather small parts. Since the parts of a resistor are held in place by the holding device, the sleeve shrinks uniformly during a curing operation over the body of the resistor within the holding device. While this invention is described for use with such pigtail units, it is entirely possible that a multitude of other applications may be envisioned from this disclosure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent when consideredin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the invention showing a number of pigtail units in phantom with their insulating sleeves positioned over the resistor body within a holding device. lFIG. 1 also illustrates the releasing action of the parallel members in a phantom section;

FIG. 2 is -a partial isometric view of the invention, parts of which are shown in broken out section;

FIG. 3 is a view of a pigtail unit prior to curing with the relationship of the insulating sleeve and the unit body illustrated in a broken out section; and

FIG. 4 is a view of a pigtail unit after curing with the relationship of the insulating sleeve and the unit body illustrated in a broken out section.

With reference to the drawings, the invention in a preferred embodiment comprises a positioning and holding device 11 for centering the body portion 20 of one or more pigtail resistors 12 coaxially within heat shrinkable insulating sleeve-s 13.

Accordingly, a pair of similar narrow metal strips 14 are each provided with a series of corresponding notches 16 along an upper edge 15. The strips 14 are connected 3,207,504 Patented Sept. 2l, 1965 to each other by upper .and lower cross members 17 and 18 respectively, located at each end of the strip 14. The cross members 17 and 18, located at Ithe ends of the strips 14, extend through a spacer *block 19 with the ends of each upper cross member 17 being connected to the end of an adjacent lower member 18 by a pin 21 to hold the block 19 in -place with reference to the strips 14.

An upper cross member 17 includes at each end a coil spring 22 extending between and exerting a compressive -force on a washer 23 and the external wall 24 of the strip 14. The washer 23, -in turn, bears on pin 21 while the -strip 14 bears on the spacer block 19. A recess 26 is provided on the bottom surface of each spacer v19 for receiving the head 27 of a screw extending through the space-r 19 of another similar holder to permit vertical stacking of the devices and facilitate mass handling thereof. A cross member 28 is centrally located between the ends of the metal :strips 14 and is provided with a coaxially mounted -cylindrical spacer element 29 and a pair of compressed springs 22 mounted on the outside of the metal strips 14 in a manner previously described with reference .to cross members 17. The strips 14 are forced into a parallel relationship on the transversely mounted cross members 117, 18 :and 28 by the compressive force of the springs 22 exerted between a washer 23 mounted on the cross member 28 and the metal strip 14 and by the compressive action of the end springs Z2. The washer 23 bears on a pin 21 connected to the lcross member 28 and the lmetal strip 14 bears on the spacer element 219.

Each notch 16 has la pair of downward sloping faces 31 which narrow to a vertical slot having a substantially U-shaped configuration to permit e-asy .push-in, pull-out loading. Directly below eac-h slot 32 is a small pin-like protrusion 33 projecting outwardly from the inner surface 36 of the metal strip 14 in such manner that a pair of such protrusions 33 are situated opposite each other on their respective metal strips.

In operation, the pigtail Iresistor body 20 is inserted into a p-recut sleeve 13 of heat shrinkable insulating material and the leads 25 are then placed in the opposing notches 16 of the metal strips 14. The strips 14 are spread apart manually against the compressive force of springs 22 and 22' until each resistor body 20 is xedly held between a pair of pin-like protrusions 33, said pins 33 contacting the body end portions 34 of the resistor. Releasing the strips 14 not only centers the 4resistor body 20 with respect to thev :strips V14 but also centers the insulating sleeve 13 with vrespect to the resistor body 20 against the internal Walls 36 of the strips 14.

The devices, loaded with resistor units, are then inserted in an oven and exposed to 4a ycuring operation. 'During this operation, the sleeves 13 will shrink uniformly around and along the resistor body 20 in `such manner that only the leads 25 will project beyond the insulation.

It is to -be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in lthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A positioning and holding device for pigtail units having a body portion and an insulating sleeve positioned thereabout comprising:

`a pair of parallel members,

transverse members connecting the parallel members,

corresponding notches along the edge of the parallel members to receive the leads of pigtail units,

pin-like protrusions at the base of the notches to xedly hold the body portions of the pigtail units,

resilient means cooperating with the transverse members to press the parallel members towards each other against the insulating sleeves thereby positioning the sleeves with respect to the body portions, and

\ means for facilitating stacking of* a plurality of such devices.

2. A positioning and holding device comprising:

a pair of parallel members, transverse members connecting the parallel members comprlsmg:

spacer blocks located at each end of the parallel members, upper and lower cross members extending through the parallel members and spacer blocks, and a centrally located spacer element having a cross member similarly connected, means cooperating with the transverse members to maintain the members in a parallel relationship, and means on the parallel members ltoixedly hold and position parts between said members.

3. A positioning and holding device comprising:

a pair of parallel members,

transverse members connecting the parallel members,

means cooperating with the transverse members to maintain the members in a parallel relationship, Aand means on the parallel members to iXedly hold and Iposition parts between said members comprising:

corresponding notches along the upper edges of the parallel members, and pin-like protrusions at the base of the notches.

4. A positioning and holding device for pigtail units having a body portion and an insulating sleeveV positioned thereabout comprising: y Y

a pair` of parallel members,

transverse members connecting the parallel members,

corresponding notches along the edge of the parallel members to receive pigtail units,

pin-like protrusions at the base ofthe notches to xedly hold pigtail bodies,

resilient means cooperating with the transverse members to maintain the relationship of the parallel members against the insulating sleeve thereby positioning the sleeve with respect to the body-portion, and

means for facilitating stacking of a plurality ofu such devices comprising:

a projecting element -mounted in each of the end `spacer blocks, and a recess located on the opposite side of each block from the projecting element and adapted to receive the projecting element of another such de,

vice.

5. A positioning and holding device for pigtail type resistors having a body portion and an insulating -sleeve positioned thereabout comprising:

a pair of spaced parallel supporting members,

spacer blocks located between the members at each end,

upper and lower cross members extending through the spacer blocks and connecting the spacer blocks to the supporting members,

`a centrally located spacer element having a cross member extending therethrough and mounted to the spaced parallel members,

a pair of coiled springs mounted exteriorly with reference .to the parallel members on opposite ends of each of the upper cross members and the centrally located cross member in order to act against the outside wall of the parallel members to maintain the 'spaced relationship of said members,

means connecting the upper and lower end cross members and maintaining the coiled springs in contact with the parallel members,

means mounted on the centrally located cross member maintaining the coiled springs in contact with the parallel members,

corresponding notches along the upper edge of the respective parallel supporting members to receive the resistor units,

pin-like protrusions at the base of each notch to xedly hold the resistor bodies as the coiled springs position the insulating `sleeves thereover against the inner walls of the parallel members,

a projecting element mounted on the end spacer blocks,

and

a recess located on the opposite side of each spacer block from the projecting element and, adapted to engage the projecting element of another such device for stacking purposes.

6. An article holding device comprising:

a pair of spaced flat plates extending parallel to each other and being slidably interconnected,

a series of corresponding notches along one edge of each plate,

spring means urging the plates towards each other, and

a protuberance adjacent the base of each not-ch on the faces of the plates facing each other for gripping the articles between corresponding protuberances of the plates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 488,058 12/92k Breed 269--254 1,315,509 9/19 Joyce 269-252 1,428,868 9/22 Uechirt 269-254 X 1,805,395 5/31 Glass 269--254 2,320,814 7/ 43 Cudini 29-559 2,352,857 7/44 Nachemov 269--254 2,612,082 9/52 Angell et ai. 29-559 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS I. HICKEY, Examiner. 

2. A POSITIONING AND HOLDING DEVICE COMPRISING: A PAIR OF PARALLEL MEMBERS, TRANVERSE MEMBERS CONNECTING THE PARALLEL MEMBERS COMPRISING SPACER BLOCKS LOCATED AT EACH END OF THE PARALLEL MEMBERS, UPPER AND LOWER CROSS MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH THE PARALLEL MEMBERS AND SPACER BLOCKS, AND A CENTRALLY LOCATED SPACER ELEMENT HAVING A CROSS MEMBER SIMILARLY CONNECTED, MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE TRANSVERSE MEMBERS TO MAINTAIN THE MEMBERS IN A PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, AND MEANS ON THE PARALLEL MEMBERS TO FIXEDLY HOLD AND POSITION PARTS BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS. 